Triumphrat

DetroitsOwn · 04-26-2008, 03:52 PM

Hello Rat Members,
I've been a British bike enthusiast since the early 1970's when I purchased (new) a 73' Norton Commando. Drove it over 45,000 miles before I sold it in 1995. Loved the power, the handling, and the overall look of the Triumphs and Nortons. Currently have an 02 Sportster, which surprisingly handles like a dream, but miss the power of the Norton. Have been looking for years to find a good british bike as a project bike. .

Yesterday, I discovered what I think is a good deal on a used 1999 Triumph Legend TT, have done some Internet research on this model, and test drove the bike this morning. From what I researched on the web, this model was an entry level bike, with low torque / low top end, middle of the road in terms of handling, power, etc., and poor quality of paint and powder coat.

After test driving it this morning, I did find the paint / powder coat to be lacking in quality, plus the bike had issues with carburation during acceleration (initial hesitation when opening up the throttle), and exhibited horrible handling at low speeds (this may be partly due to worn Bridgestone tires.) There also was a slight "pop" in the exhaust which sounds like it could be a bad exhaust valve.

I would greatly appreciate it if any of the RAT members would give me an honest evaluation of the Legend TT? Although it seems like a good price, I will have to spend some cash to get it back to quality condition.

I'm thinking about getting this bike for my girlfriend (and I get to ride it some) as it has a low seat and ample power, but I'm concerned about the handling at low speeds. I was able to muscle it, but it is not comfortable trying to do a 180.

Thanks everyone,
D

gregp · 04-26-2008, 07:54 PM

I have a '96 Adventurer, which is pretty similar to the Legend. The '99' probably has Kehin carbs as opposed to my Mikunis, and the front wheel diameter may be different (mine is an 18"). These bikes have very nice motors and the hesitation and popping may just be dirty pilot jets, a common problem with these bikes due to the paint flaking off the inside of the filler neck on the tank. The head and valve train is very stout and reliable if the bike has had the valve clearances looked after. Slow speed manners are improved with a bit of trimming of the steering stop for more overall steering lock, but overall, they are a bit top heavy at low speeds. My bike has plenty of power for me with no performance mods, but there is more to be had with the standard pipes-jetting-air filter mods. The low end and mid-range power is great, so I am rarely at high RPM's on this bike. OEM parts are readily available, but aftermarket parts may take a bit of searching. They are out there, though.
The T-3 line are good solid motorcycles, and getting a bit rare, so if the Legend you are looking at is in good shape and at a good price, there should be no reason to avoid it unless the weight/top heaviness at low speeds puts you off, and that would be shame.

BigAl8295 · 04-26-2008, 09:43 PM

I guess it depends on how the bike was maintained, because my '99 Legend with 37,000 miles has perfect paint. I prefer the blacked out motor and seating position. I

I use a fuel additive all of the time and the bike performed pefectly when I had my stock carbs in it. Once again the performance you experienced is based on how the bike was maintained and if the current owner tinkered with it.

It has all of the power of the other triples. It can also be upgraded to make more power.

It may be a little top heavy for a beginning rider to handle during tight low speed maneuvers. It does handle the twisties at high speed just fine, although some of the other triples have higher quality braking and suspension.

It does sit low. I'm 5'8" and its perfect for me.

If you get it back into good shape its a great bike. People are always asking me about it.

roady03 · 04-26-2008, 10:53 PM

Echo the previous posts. This site offers a wealth of knowledge from some true Triumph gearheads who are more than willing to share what they know. All I would add is that at 6'1" 260lbs, I find my TT feels a bit small at times but there is plenty of torque to move my big behind. My '03 TB fits me perfectly as it sits a bit higher. As for the paint, the obsidian black is a beautiful contrast to the blacked out triple engine. I have no problems with the engine finish whatsoever. In fact, I owned an 05' HD Night Train that didn't have near as nice a finish (no comments from the HD bashers please). Buy the Legend, you'll be glad you did and if you do not like it, sell it. I doubt you will lose money if you are getting a fairly good deal on it. Ride safely.

ShikePoke · 04-27-2008, 12:54 AM

I find my '01 at low speeds to have a large 180 radius. I almost failed my cycle license because of it. With that said...the more I ride it, the wobbles I experienced in the test were because I was not used to the bike. The front end does not seem to have the same radius as an HD or sportbike, but I have never needed to turn that sharp since the test.

Poke

DaleE · 04-27-2008, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DetroitsOwn

There also was a slight "pop" in the exhaust which sounds like it could be a bad exhaust valve.

It sounds to me like you're describing the popping on deceleration that we ALL experience; if so, it's not evidence of a bad exhaust valve or anything else bad--it's just the nature of the beast. Some even maintain that it's the hallmark of a properly tuned engine. I don't know about that, but I've given up on trying to get rid of it, and have decided that I would just enjoy it as one more distinctive characteristic of a wonderful and praiseworthy motorcycle.

DetroitsOwn · 04-27-2008, 08:47 AM

Thanks for sharing guys, very much appreciated. Love the site; I've been reading some of the mod (and jetting) posts and there is a wealth of knowledge being shared here. Great Web Site!!

I agree the Triumphs are not your typical bike one sees out-and-about. It is for this reason I'm interested in buying this bike. That, and I love to work on my own bike; seems to bond you to your machine more when you do the work yourself.

How long did they make the Legend TT (and what does the TT stand for? Trophy? Touring?) If my research is correct, they started making the first model in 1998, but I'm not sure how many years they continued manufacturing the Legend.

Because these bikes are manufactured with the moduler range, what is the difference between the Adventure, the Thunderbird, and the Thunderbird Sport? While researching this bike, I came across the history of Triumph (which I'll post separate -- Triumph was founded in 1887 and initially produced bicycles), the takeover by BSA in the 50's, the merge with Norton Villiers in the early 70's, and finally the purchase of "intellectual property rights" of the Triumph marqee to John Bloor in 1984. They've been around a long time.

From the replies to my post, it sounds like the engine is solid and reliable. I wasn't able to take it into the mountains (I live in East Tennessee and the mountains are not very far--neither is the Dragon) to see how it handled, but it did seem to settle down a bit once it was up to speed. Nice to hear the bike handles well in the twisties.

One reason I'm a bit hesitant, is it looks like the bike has sat out under a cover, or at the very least, been kept under a carport. The current owner (who claims to be the second owner--never drove it much as he was scared due to the low-end handling problems) also said he had the valves "cleaned" (I assume they were lapped to re-seat them.) Apparantly, the bike wouldn't start and when he took it in to have it worked on, the shop stated the valves had rust on them. He also said the shop "re-did" his carbs, (but couldn't balance them as they didn't have a vacuum gauge). All signs of neglect.

Also, having owned a British bike for so long, I know how the brits like to polish...that said, most of the aluminum components (including the spoke wheels) are showing signs of corrosion and will need some work to restore to its original luster.

Overall, despite the bike having less than 4K miles, it has not been maintained well. I can pick it up for $1,800, which I think is a good price. However, it needs tires (they are original and need to be replaced) the chain is extremely rusty and may need replacing, the paint needs redoing, pipes are getting a bit rusty, etc...still a good investment?

Tommybro · 04-27-2008, 09:43 AM

Detroitsown, your avatar photo looks very familiar to me. That bike looks very familiar to me. That's my old Legend!

You will enjoy the bike when you get it all checked out and running right. I had a great 4 years with mine.

T.

DetroitsOwn · 04-27-2008, 10:02 AM

Tommybro,
LOL. I found that pic while doing my research...love the Cardinal Red color. Thought it was only appropriate to post a Legend TT pic.

Let me ask you a question, do you think the low speed handling issue (the steering really had to be "muscled" around the corner when turning) will be improved with new tires? I'm a big Dunlop fan and these are the original Bridgestone tires. I've ridden other bikes with worn tires (some wear to a high point in the middle--others wear into scalloped ridges) and have experienced handling problems with these. I also didn't check the tire pressure before my test ride (asked the owner but he didn't have any way to fill them up); they may have been low which could add to the handling problems.

BigAl8295 · 04-27-2008, 10:23 AM

Most of the people here see to you with Avon sport touring tires. I don't think there's much of a difference at low speed but around those curves at high speeds the Avons grip the road. I have the Azzaro STs, but I think they've been replaced by the Azzaro Storms.

If you buy it for $1800 and if you're a little handy you should be able to get it where it needs to be for less than $1,000. At $2800 you'd have a great deal.

The Legend was only made 3 years.

Here's the link to the Triumph section of Hermys, a Triumph dealer. If you go down the the bottom you can see they have a list off all model years back to 1999 and you can compare all of the different models.